The Virus
by RebelGirl13
Summary: The Western Hemisphere has been Infected by the Virus. Nearly everyone is dead, or dying. There are few who are immune. One of them is Robbie. And his mission is to get Cat to the Safe House before it's too late.
1. The Ruins of LA

Present day, _Flashbacks_

**Chapter 1: The Ruins of L.A.**

Robbie looked down at the ruins of the city that used to be Los Angeles. What used to be bright lights and colors was now only smoke and rotting corpses. Where the Hollywood sign once stood there was nothing but a pile of ashes.

The Virus was still out there. He knew that much. The barely breathing body next to him was proof of it. He didn't know what else he could do for her; besides bring her to the Safe House. The Safe House, the only place left in the Western Hemisphere that wasn't infected by the Virus. The safe house, which was thousands of miles away, in Miami, Florida.

Robbie thought back to the day it all started.

_Robbie sat down in his chair in Sikowitz's room. It was just an average day at Hollywood Arts. Jade had just terrorized the new kid, Cat had just mentioned her bizarre brother and his even more bizarre behaviors, Beck had just flipped his hair, Andr__é__ had just finished a new song, and Tori was arguing with Trina over the phone. As for him, Robbie just sat back and watched everything._

_ As Sikowitz was walking up on the small stage at the front of the room, the rest of the class filed in, sat down, and stared at Sikowitz expectantly._

_ "Improv day!" he announced. The class cheered. Improv days were easy, and had no homework._

_ "Okay, I want two people. Cat, you be the little girl named Alyssa who always gets what she wants and currently wants a Shetland pony. Tori, you be her mother who's trying to watch TV. And… go!"_

_ Tori and Cat ran onto the stage as Sikowitz hopped off. Tori pulled a chair over and put it facing the TV._

_ "Mommy, I want a Shetland pony!" said Cat in a demanding tone, standing in front of the television screen._

_ "That's too bad," said Tori, trying to peer around her. "Now move so I can watch my soap opera!"_

_ "Well, if you think it's so bad, buy me a _pony_!" screamed Cat, stamping her foot. She lost her balance and fell onto the TV, accidentally turning it on to the news channel._

_ "In the Los Angeles area, over seventy deaths have been reported from this strange illness that people are simply calling 'The Virus'. Scientists have attempted to study this mysterious sickness, but many have just been infected with it, proving that it is still contagious when it's victims are dead. About one hundred and thirty more are currently infected with it. Los Angeles and surrounding cities are currently under quarantine. Officials would like to warn you that the first signs of the Virus are coughing, bloodshot eyes, running nose, excessive bleeding when cut, dizziness, nausea, and tiredness. Stay safe, and stay inside."_

_ Sikowitz hurried to turn off the TV. "Wow, it was a soap opera!" said Cat gleefully, not understanding at all what they had just heard._

_ "No, Cat," said Robbie, his mouth dry. "That's real."_

_ Cat's smile faded and turned to a look of horror. That's what scared Robbie the most._

Oh, how he had wished it was only a soap opera. Then none of this would every have happened. He reached down and brushed a strand of red hair away from the body's face.

"I promise I'll get you to safety," he whispered to her. "I promise."

**I know it's short, but aren't all first chapters?**

**Are you INTRIGUED? Let me know… Review!**

**-Rebel**


	2. Nauseating

Present day, _Flashbacks_

**Chapter 2: Nauseating**

Robbie held Cat's body close to his as he carried her down the abandoned street. He really hoped they wouldn't run into any more of the Infected. As if they didn't have enough to worry about.

Robbie hugged Cat closer to him, trying to feel the faint rise and fall of her chest. He needed something, anything, to remind himself that she was still alive. Just barely, but she was _still alive_. That's really all he had to keep him from losing it.

Robbie didn't know how _he _hadn't become Infected yet. He had been with Cat so long that he should have been dead by now.

Cat wasn't the first one to become Infected. In fact, she was one of the last. Robbie thought back to the first time he realized that Tori was.

_Cat, Robbie, André, Beck, Jade and Tori were all at Tori's house studying for a history test. Tori had coughed, and immediately everyone panicked. She just laughed. "You guys," she said. "I coughed. _Once_. That doesn't mean that I've got the Virus."_

_ Everyone thought that there was sense in that statement, so they resumed their studying. After a while, Tori yawned and announced that she was going to bed early. When she turned to look at us, we all screamed, even Jade._

_ "What's wrong?" Tori had said._

_ "Tori…" whispered André._

_ Her eyes were blood red. "Oh, my God," said Jade._

_ "Guys, what's wrong?" said Tori, starting to panic. Beck pulled out his phone and let Tori use the reflection as a mirror. Tori jumped up, dropping the phone, and began to back away from everyone else._

_ "Tori, it's going to be okay," said Robbie, trying to be helpful._

_ "No!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face. She began coughing violently, and Robbie could see blood coming out of her mouth._

_ "Tori!" screamed Cat, trying to run forward to help her friend. Robbie grabbed her arms and pulled her back. "No," said Cat, not struggling very much, but still crying. "No!" Robbie pulled her to him and enveloped her in a hug, hoping to turn her head around from the nauseating scene occurring in front of them._

_ Cat didn't know it, but he was crying, too. The sudden knowledge that Tori was Infected was almost too much to take. _

Tori had died three weeks later. Everyone came to visit her once and a while, even Jade, but they never got too close to her, just in case. There was one person, though, who refused to leave Tori's side. He held her hand for almost the whole time. André.

In her last few minutes, André kissed her. Some say that was why he died the next day. Others argued that he was Infected long before that. Robbie thought André had just died of a broken heart.

"Help... me…" A weak, raspy voice brought Robbie back to the present. Oh, no. One of the Infected was crawling towards him, holding up a hand. "Help me, please," the voice chafed.

Robbie recognized the boy as soon as he got close enough, and he wanted to throw up. The bloody, burned, almost-dead boy in front of him was Sinjin.

"I'm sorry," whispered Robbie. "I have to save her."

"Help… me!" cried Sinjin, attempting to grab at Robbie's pants.

"I can't!" said Robbie, breaking into a jog to get away.

When he got to the end of the road, he turned back to see that Sinjin had collapsed in the middle of the road in an unmoving heap.

Robbie tried to swallow, but failed miserably, just making the lump in his throat grow bigger.

**-Rebel**


	3. I Love You

Present day, _Flashback_

**Chapter 3: I Love You**

Robbie built a small fire so they wouldn't freeze overnight. He turned to look at Cat. Her skin was horribly pale, and breathing was almost none existent.

"Cat," he said quietly. "I saw Sinjin today." He didn't know if she could hear him or not, but it didn't matter. He talked to her every night, telling her about the events that had occurred that day.

"He's gone now. He was Infected, but now he's dead. I know you'd be glad about that, because now he's not in pain. Now he's in a place where there is no pain, and no Virus. A place where he's safe." Robbie reached up to wipe the stray tear from his eyes. "That's where I 'm taking you. A place where you'll be safe."

_Jade stormed into Cat's room, where Cat and Robbie where talking. "Jade, what's wrong? What happened?" said Cat._

_ Jade was crying. "It's Beck," she whispered._

_ They all knew what she meant without it being said._

_ Beck had been Infected._

_ "How?" whispered Robbie. They were losing everyone. Tori, André, and now Beck._

_ "It's that damn phone that Vega had!" said Jade, kicking the bedpost. _

_ Cat and Robbie knew Jade didn't blame Tori. In fact, she missed her as much as anyone, maybe even more._

_ "What are we gonna do?" said Cat._

_ Jade sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I'm taking him to Miami."_

_ "Florida?" said Robbie._

_ "What other Miami's do you know?" snapped Jade. "That's where his cousin, the only family he has left, lives. I'm hoping they'll do their best to make him comfortable before… before…"_

_ Jade broke down crying and Cat went over and put her arms around her. "Jade, what if you catch the Virus?"_

_ Jade shrugged. "It won't make a difference. We'll all get it anyways."_

Robbie hadn't heard from them since they took the plane to Miami. That plane was one of the last flights before the airways were put out of service.

Beck was probably dead. Jade probably was, too, for that matter. But there was a slim possibility, a chance in a million that they had made it to the Safe House.

Robbie began talking to Cat again.

"I miss Tori, and André, and Beck, and Jade. I've lost them all. I've lost my family, too," he whispered. "Cat, you're all I have left. Please, _please_, don't leave me. Not now. Not ever."

He bent down, close to her face. "Goodnight, Cat," he whispered, saying goodnight the same way he did every night. He kissed her forehead. "I love you."

He laid his head down and closed his eyes, unaware of the tears streaming down Cat's face from under her closed eyes.

**-Rebel**


	4. Not A Chance In Hell You'll Make It

Present Day, _Flashbacks_

**Chapter 4: Not A Chance In Hell You'll Make It**

Robbie didn't know if it was fate, or just a stroke of good luck, but as he was looking in an abandoned warehouse, he found a pick-up truck with half a tank of gas in it.

As he laid Cat in the back seat, he debated whether or not to drive fast. If he did, he would use up the gasoline in a short period of time, but they would get so far. If he went slow, the gasoline would last longer.

"We'll get there somehow, Cat," he said, climbing into the driver's seat. Until he reached to turn the keys in the ignition that there _were _no keys.

_Crap_.

"Okay. Hotwiring a truck. Beck taught me... Come on, brain, remember!" Robbie muttered to himself.

He stopped talking when he heard a small noise. He froze, and prayed it wasn't another of the infected. He looked back at Cat to see if she was alright, and saw her lips open and let another small moan escape.

Robbie climbed into the back and knelt next to Cat, screwing open the top of his water canteen. He looked inside and groaned, turning upside down. No water came out.

He cursed himself for his idiocy. He should've realized he was running out sooner. Now where would he find water?

Robbie gently lifted Cat's head off the seat and got her out of the car. His arms ached from carrying her for so long, for so far, but he wasn't about to give up now.

He carried her for a little while, looking in every old store, every street corner, but there was no water to be found.

When he got to the edge of the city, he sat her down next to a tree and stared into the woods. Maybe, just maybe there would be running water in there.

With a heavy heart and heavy breathing, he picked Cat up and they walked into the woods.

About five minutes off the beaten path, Robbie found something he didn't expect.

It was a little log cabin.

He slowly walked up to it, a peered inside the single window. There didn't appear to be anybody home. _Probably dead,_ thought Robbie bitterly.

He was about to kick open the door when a shot rang out. Robbie was so scared that he almost dropped Cat.

He spun around and saw a grizzly old man with a shotgun in his hands, the barrel pointed at Cat.

"Get out of here. I can't stand anymore of these Infected," growled the man.

"You're… you're _not_ Infected?" said Robbie.

The old man shook his head. "Seems that I've a strange immunity from it. But your friend there doesn't, so get out of here."

Robbie scrunched his eyebrows together, confused. "If you're immune to the Virus, why are you shooting the Infected that come near you?"

The old man's gray eyes had a sad look in them. "To put the poor things out of their misery. No one deserves to die of the Virus. Though, I don't have to shoot them. I could just give 'em a paper cut and they'd bleed to death," he added.

The old man sighed. "I suggest you do the same for that little thing right there, too. Before long you'll have the Virus and she'll just be in pain."

"No." Robbie's voice was sharp and clear. "I'm going to save her."

The old man shook his head. "You can try all you want, boy. It's all for nothing, in the end."

"I won't believe that," whispered Robbie. "I have to believe that there's some way to get her to get her to the Safe House. I won't give her up that easily. She's all I have left."

The old man seemed to be considering what Robbie had said. Then he sighed. "Follow me," he said gruffly.

"Where to?" said Robbie.

"Water," replied the man simply.

He took them a little ways into the woods, and Robbie could see a clear brook full of clean water up ahead. He ran a little and laid Cat down gently next to the brook.

He supported her head with his hand, and with the other he reached down to get a handful of water.

The old man snorted. "I hope you're not planning on giving her that."

Robbie looked up in surprise. "Why not?"

The old man shook his head and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Kids these days," and bent down next to Robbie.

"What you want to do," he said, "Is get your sleeve wet and dab it on her lips, giving her a little bit of water at a time. If you just give her water like that, she might choke on it."

Robbie nodded, and did as the man instructed him. When Cat's lips were wet Robbie got quite a few handfuls of water for himself.

"So, how long has she had it?" said the old man, sitting on one of the rocks next to the brook. Robbie sat beside Cat, watching her face.

"About eight days," he said quietly.

"Have you been with her that whole time?" said the old man, sounding slightly surprised.

Robbie nodded, looking up. "What you said about having a sort of immunity to the Virus… I don't think you're the only one."

The old man nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. What's her name?" he said, gesturing to Cat.

"Cat Valentine."

"And yours?"

"My name's Robbie."

"Where did you two come from?" questioned the old man.

"Los Angeles. Why? Do you know where we are now? I have no idea," said Robbie.

The old man nodded. "Sunrise, Nevada. We're pretty close to the California border."

Robbie put his head in his hands. "How am I ever going to get her to Miami?"

"Florida?" said the old man.

"Yes!" said Robbie, suddenly understanding Jade's exasperation.

"Well, Robbie, you've done a damn good job of getting her this far. I'd say she has about two, maybe three weeks left," said the man. Robbie winced.

"And even though there's not a chance in hell you'll make it, I'm gonna help you get her to Miami."

Robbie hopped up. "How?"

"Ah, I'll find a way. I always do," the man chuckled.

"Thanks a lot, Mr…" Robbie trailed off.

"Jim. Just call me Jim."

"Okay, Jim. But, if you don't mind me asking, why are you helping us?" said Robbie.

Jim's eyes once again took on a sad expression. "My granddaughter died of the Virus. She looked a hell of a lot like your Cat there, red hair and all. Her name was Ariana."

Robbie nodded. "So, you are going to help us?"

Jim took a deep breath. "I'll do my best," he said.

**-Rebel**


	5. I Promise

Present day, _Flashback_

**Okay, so, since I've been in the mountains and not able to update for a while, I decided to post TWO chapters!**

**Chapter 5: I Promise**

Robbie had told Jim about the truck with the half-full tank of fuel. As it turns out, he could hotwire it with just a penny and a paperclip.

So now they were on the road, Jim driving, Robbie in the backseat with Cat's head on his lap. They had filled up all the containers they could with water and provisions and put them in the back of the pick-up truck.

It seemed a bit out there that Jim would just want to help them, but Robbie understood about his granddaughter. His whole family had caught the Virus, even Rex.

Robbie winced as they once again ran over an Infected corpse in the road. He thought back on the day he first realized that Cat had been Infected.

_They were sitting on Cat's bed. Robbie's arm was around Cat, and her head was resting on his shoulder. Tears streamed down her face, and sobs racked her body._

_ "He's dead, Robbie. Mike is dead. My big brother is dead," she cried. Robbie put his other arm around her and held her. He knew the pain she was feeling. As she was speaking, his mother, his last family member alive, was breathing her last breaths. Robbie had wanted to stay with her, but she had told him to leave her so she could live the rest of her life in peace._

_ "I know," he whispered, rubbing her arms._

_ "And my mom is dead, and my dad is dead, and I… I don't know what to do!" she whispered._

_ "We're going to be okay, Cat. We'll survive this, I know it!" said Robbie, though he knew they were both going to die soon._

_ Cat was more naïve. "You really think so?" she sniffed._

_ Robbie nodded and forced a smile. "Yeah! You and I are survivors."_

_ Cat looked up to face him. "Promise you won't leave me, Robbie?" she said._

_ Robbie forced the lump in his throat down. "I promise," he whispered. He stood up at pulled Cat up with him. "But we can't just starve because we're sad. We need to go get something to eat. Cat nodded, and proceeded to walk to the door._

_ When she got to the door, she put her hand on the frame._

_ "What's wrong?" said Robbie._

_ "I feel dizzy," said Cat warily._

_ "You're probably just hungry," he said uncertainly. "Let's go."_

_ Cat shook her head. "Robbie!" she collapsed into his arms, her head lolling to one side._

_ "Cat! Cat, wake up! Come on, Cat!" Robbie hurried to lay her down on the bed. Cat's breathing was rapidly getting heavier, and she was shivering violently._

_ He covered her with a blanket, and stood back for a minute. He kneeled next to her and slowly lifted her shadowed eyelid to reveal bloodshot eyes._

_ There was only one thing left Robbie could do. He bowed his head over her and began to cry._

That was, undoubtedly, the worst day of his life. _So far_, he thought miserably.

He didn't realize until then that tears were streaming down his face. He pushed Cat's hair back from her face.

"Come on, Cat," he whispered to her. "You've got to make it. We'll be there soon. I _promised_ I wouldn't leave you, so you can't leave me."

In the front seat, Jim wiped a tear from his eye, feeling almost the same way he did when Ariana died.

**-Rebel**


	6. If You Can Hear Me

Present day, _Flashbacks_

**Chapter 6: If You Can Hear Me**

Jim and Robbie sat down next to the small fire, holding hotdogs on sticks over it. Robbie watched the flames flicker across Cat's face.

Jim looked thoughtfully at Robbie. "You really care about her, don't you?" said Jim. Robbie nodded. He meant to speak, but when he opened his mouth, no words came out.

"Is she your sister?" Jim asked.

"No," said Robbie quietly.

"Girlfriend?" said Jim.

"No!" exclaimed Robbie.

"But you love her, don't you?" said Jim.

Robbie was silent. He didn't know it was so obvious, but Jim had figured it out in two days.

"You love her a lot, that's why you're trying to get her to the Safe House," said Jim.

Robbie nodded, and attempted to speak once more. "I… I _can't_ let her die," he whispered hoarsely. "She's only sixteen. She shouldn't be _allowed_ to die."

Jim nodded. "I get it. My Ariana was only fourteen," he said.

Robbie was silent. He remembered when Cat had woken up from the Infection that one time convinced that she was alone.

_Robbie looked out the window in Cat's house facing the Hollywood sign and sighed sadly. The Hollywood sign was on in flames. Of course it was the work of the Infected._

_ He turned back to Cat and placed a damp cloth on her hot forehead. He was reaching for her hand when he noticed her eyes twitching._

_ Not exactly sure what it meant, Robbie stood up, concerned._

_ All of a sudden, Cat's eyes flew open and she gasped, shivering violently. She looked around and seemed not to see him, and started sobbing. _

_ "Cat! Cat, it's alright, I'm here," said Robbie, jumping to her side and taking her hand in his. _

_ "I'm alone," she said through her tears._

_ Robbie shook his head. "Cat, I'm here. It's me, Robbie. I'm _right here_. It's okay."_

_ Cat slowly turned to look at him. "Robbie?" she whispered._

_ Robbie nodded, and stroked her hair. "Yeah," he said._

_ Her face suddenly lit up with recognition and her eyes brightened. Then her face once again screwed up into a look that told Robbie she was about to cry._

_ He pulled her close to him and held her for what seemed like only a couple minutes, though, in reality, it was probably hours._

_ When he looked at her again, he realized she had gone back to sleep, her breathing as labored as ever._

_ He laid her down gently and took her hand, clasping it in his and putting it up to his lips as tears once again filled his eyes._

He wanted her to wake up again so bad, but he knew she wasn't going to. Unless he could get her to the Safe House. The Safe House would help her. Hell, they might have even found a _cure_.

"You know," said Jim quietly. "The Infected can hear you when you talk to them."

Robbie stiffened. "What?"

"They can hear you, understand you, just not respond," repeated Jim.

Robbie looked over at Cat, then back at Jim. Jim nodded. As Robbie moved towards Cat, Jim stood up and announced he was going on a walk.

Robbie barely heard him. "Cat?" he whispered. "Jim said you could hear me." He took her hand in his. "If you can… If you can hear me, squeeze my hand."

Robbie waited for a second. Nothing. He sighed. Jim was just trying to make him feel better. He was about to pull away when he felt a faint pressure on his hand.

He looked down slowly to see Cat was doing her best to say that yes, she could hear him.

"Well, then," said Robbie, completely baffled. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Cat. I love you."

Robbie didn't know if he imagined it, but he thought he saw a faint trace of a smile on Cat's lips. So he did something daring. He bent down and kissed her on the lips.

When he came back up, he was grinning, and he was sure that if Cat could, she would be to.

What he didn't know, behind him, Jim was smiling for the first time in weeks.

**-Rebel**


	7. Sooner Than We Planned

**Chapter 7: Sooner Than We Planned**

"Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Robbie kicked the tire of the car in frustration. They had run out of fuel. They had come all the way to Texas just to run out of fuel.

"Well, there's definately no place we'd find gasoline around here," announced Jim, running his hand through the little grayhair he had left.

"That's it, then?" said Robbie furiously. "She's just going to die?"

Jim set his jaw in a firm position. "We'll find a way to get her there. Now come on, sitting there crying won't help anyone, least of all Cat."

Robbie didn't see any sense in Jim's words, but he scooped Cat up in his arms and began walking down the road anyways. A few moments passed before Robbie vocalized what they had both been thinking. "We'll never get her there if we walk the whole way."

Jim nodded. "I know."

Robbie scrunched his eyebrows together. "Yet we're doing it, anyways?"

Jim let out a sigh, which Robbie thought was greatly overexagerated and not really necassary. "Did you see that sign 'bout a mile back?" he said. Robbie shook his head. He hadn't been paying attention.

"It said there was an airport just around the corner," explained Jim.

"You know how to fly an airplane?" said Robbie, his voice full of awe.

Jim let out a hoarse, short laugh. "Hell, no! But I didn't have a driver's liscense, either, and I drove us all the way here, didn't I?"

Robbie nodded slowly. "Okay... We'll... We'll give it a shot."

So, after about five minutes of walking, they came upon a small building with a runway out front. There were no airplanes, but... "I suppose a helicopter will do just as well," said Jim, pushing himself up on the balls of his feet.

"I'm not so sure about this," said Robbie uncertainly.

"What's not to be sure about?" said Jim, climbing into the helicopter and putting on a headset.

Robbie didn't move. Jim sighed. "We'll be able to get to Miami in four hours. She'll be at the Safe House."

Robbie gulped, and stepped forward to put Cat in the helicopter. "Well, Cat," he whispered. "We might be dying sooner than we planned."

And with that, they took off, not to land until they reached Miami.

**-Rebel**


	8. Out of Us

**Chapter 8: Out of Us**

Robbie almost had to run to keep up with the nurse that was pushing Cat's bed down the hallway. The nurse scared him with her oxygen mask and protective goggles, but it could've been worse. Jim was right behind him, not attempting to keep up.

They had made it. They had made it to the Safe House. It had taken four hours and a near helicopter crash, but they had made it. And that was all that mattered to Robbie. Now, they were taking Cat to the 'Sick Room'. Robbie didn't have to be the genius that he was to figure out what was there.

"Excuse me, sir, but I can't take you any further," said the nurse, sounding slightly like Darth Vader with the oxygen mask.

"Why not? I won't get sick. I'm immune to the Virus," he informed her.

The nurse's eyes took on a dawning look and she began to nod slowly. "You're… you're immune?" Robbie nodded. "In that case…" She plucked the walkie-talkie out of her belt (that _so_ didn't go with her scrubs) and spoke into it. "Believe it or not, we've got _another_ Code Blue. I repeat, we've got another Code Blue! I need some backup on Beta Level."

"Back up?" Robbie was confused. "Am I in trouble?"

The nurse let out a hoarse laugh. "Not at all, kid. Just wait here for a second and your escorts will come to get you."

"My escorts? What –" The nurse wheeled Cat off, looking particularly pleased.

Robbie looked for Jim, but he was nowhere in sight. Out of nowhere, these two police officers who also donned oxygen masks grabbed Robbie by the arms and began to drag him down a different hallway. "Jim!" he cried, struggling to get away. "Jim!"

Jim didn't come.

The officers pulled him to a room that looked like an ordinary hospital waiting room. They went past it into a small office. There was an irritated looking woman sitting at a desk and two chairs. One of the chairs was occupied by a girl in shredded clothes and black hair. Her back was to him.

They shoved him down into the other chair. _Some escorts_, he thought bitterly.

"What's going on?" said Robbie.

The girl next to him gasped. "Robbie?" she said.

Robbie turned to look at her. Her face was dirty and smudged, and might have once had make up on it. Underneath the layer of scum, he could just barely recognize her.

"Jade?" he whispered.

"Ah, so you know each other?" said the irritable woman at the desk.

"What's happening here?" said Robbie.

"They're making a cure for the Virus," said Jade shakily.

"That's great!" said Robbie. "Why is everyone all serious?"

Jade sighed. "Because, Robbie. They're making the antidote… they're making it out of us."

**-Rebel**


	9. Not Even An Angel

**Chapter 9: Not Even an Angel**

"What… what do you mean?" said Robbie nervously.

"You are immune to the Virus, no?" said the woman at the desk with a thick accent.

Robbie nodded his head slowly. "Yes, I am."

"They're going to use our blood to make the antidote, Robbie," explained Jade. "We're both immune; they figure it might help somehow."

Robbie leaned forward. "Well, that's a load of-"

"I know!" whispered Jade in a tone that told Robbie he should shut up.

"We wish to do an experiment with the blood," said the Accent Lady, standing up from her desk. "First, we shall test your blood type. Do not worry, it is nothing more than a simple needle in the arm." Robbie cringed.

"Then, we shall take you to the Sick House and leave you there for an hour. If you are not Infected, then you truly are immune," continued Accent Lady. Jade rolled her eyes as if to say _I haven't been Infected _yet_, have I?_

"Then, you may each choose one person to conduct the experiment of the antidote on." Jade and Robbie both stiffened. "Remember, we don't yet know what effect it will have on them. It may heal them, but it may kill them."

Robbie and Jade looked at each other, and silently shared some kind of agreement. They were going to risk it anyways.

They were taken for blood tests, and then put in the Sick Room. Jade immediately walked over to a bed in the far side of the room. As Robbie was still looking for Cat, he followed curiously, wondering if Jade had found her.

"Jade, wait up!" he said, trying not to bump into any of the beds.

When he got to her, she was holding a boy's hand, looking down at him sadly. The boy was about their age, and was definitely handsome, even with his deathly pale skin and the blood in various patches on his arm. In fact, if the boy had not been Infected, Robbie might have even been able to tell who he was.

"Beck? He's… he's _alive_?" said Robbie.

Jade shook her head. "Not for much longer."

"But, he's lasted this long? I thought…" Robbie trailed off, not sure how say what he was thinking without offending Jade.

"You thought what?" said Jade sharply. "Spit it out, Shapiro."

Robbie took a deep breath. "I thought he'd be dead by now." Jade's eyes glistened dangerously, but she made no move of attack. "Actually, I thought you'd _both_ be dead by now." For a moment, Robbie was sure he had pushed it too far. Jade looked ready to pounce. But she just sighed dejectedly and slumped her shoulders slightly.

"Me too," she answered simply.

They were both silent for a minute.

Then, Jade spoke. "Why are you here?" she said.

"For Cat," said Robbie.

Jade's eyes widened in shock. "Cat's still alive? Where is she? What-" Jade seemed to spot something over Robbie's shoulder. She cried out and began running towards a cot a few beds down that donned a certain redhead.

"Cat!" Jade whispered, taking her hand. Robbie subconsciously did the same to the other.

Jade was silent for a moment. "How did you get her here?"

Robbie reached his free hand up and scratched the back of his head. "Honestly? I have no idea."

"Robbie." Jade's voice was sharp and unmistakable.

"I found a truck with some gasoline, and when that ran out, we took a helicopter," he said.

"You flew a helicopter? Wow, Robbie. That's more than I expected," said Jade, her voice lined with surprise.

Robbie shook his head. "I didn't fly it."

Jade nodded. "Okay, that sounds more like you. But wait – If you didn't fly it, who did?" Jade tilted her head slightly to the right.

"There was… there was someone named Jim. He was immune, too. He brought me here, and when I came inside, he left. I haven't seen him since," admitted Robbie.

Jade's eyes flashed. "Robbie, you were out there for days without a lot of food or water. It's possible that you were just hallucinating about this… _Jim_."

Robbie shook his head adamantly. "He was real," he insisted.

Jade nodded, though she didn't look convinced. Then she sighed. "Well, any chance Jim will come back and save us now?"

Robbie thought about it for a moment, and the more he did, the more discouraged he became. His shoulders slumped. "No, I don't think so. I don't know where Jim is, but not even an angel could save us now.

**-Rebel**


	10. For You

**Chapter 10: For You**

Robbie's head was swimming with thoughts. He knew it had been more than an hour since he and Jade had been locked in the Sick Room. He had no idea what had happened to the doctors.

He heard a muffled sob and turned around to see Jade with a knife in her hands. "Jade," he said, stepping towards her uncertainly.

"No," she said violently. "Nobody gets to save Beck but me." She slit a small cut just above her wrist, careful not to catch a vein.

"What are you doing?" said Robbie.

Jade didn't answer. Instead she went over to Beck's bed and pressed her cut firmly to his forehead. She closed her eyes, and slowly put the slit to Beck's lips. "I'm sorry I'm making you do this, Beck," she whispered, as if Robbie wasn't there. "It's for you."

After a minute or two, Jade pulled her wrist away. Robbie heard a cough, and right before his eyes, Beck awoke, all redness gone from his eyes, all paleness dispersed from his skin. "Beck?" whispered Jade. He nodded in awe and pulled her to him.

Robbie just stood there in shock. It worked. Their blood really would heal everyone in here. Robbie was surprised Jade hadn't thought of it on her own, as it was so morbid. But it really did work. He glanced uncertainly over at Cat, and subconsciously made a decision.

He took the knife from Jade and went over to kneel beside Cat. "Be careful, Robbie," warned Beck, but Robbie wasn't listening. He held the knife just above his wrist when two doctors with oxygen masks burst in the door. They grabbed the knife away from Robbie and hoisted him up to his feet.

"Hey!" he protested, but they didn't listen. He struggled as much as he could, but Robbie was no wrestler.

Out of nowhere, Jade jumped on one of the guy's backs. He was so surprised that he fell to the ground on top of Jade. Beck hopped out of his hospital bed and grabbed the other doctor with such a force that no person who was just cured of a fatal disease should have had.

Robbie stepped back, but more doctors were coming in. It was a hopeless fight to begin with, and now they were doomed, but Robbie wasn't about to give up. He grabbed a cup that was next to one of the beds and smashed it over the nearest doctor's head. The doctor fell to the ground with a small cut on his head, his gaze staring at nothing.

In the back of Robbie's head, a horrified nudge of what he had just done came from his conscience, but he pushed it away, deciding to be guilty later.

Before he knew what was happening, someone had pulled out a gun. A searing pain, a blinding light, and a voice he recognized screaming his name were all he remembered before blacking out.

Just as soon as he blacked out, he came to again. But he wasn't in the Sick Room. He was in a completely white hallway, standing right in the middle. On either side of the hallway were doors.

As he was wondering where the hell he was, one of the doors opened, and in came Jim with a small redhead behind him. "Jim?" said Robbie, beginning to walk towards him.

"No!" said Jim. "Stand exactly where you are. Don't move."

Robbie froze, and moved only his lips. "Why?"

The redhead behind Jim laughed. "You're right in between life and death. If you walk towards us, you'll be entering death. If you walk that way, you'll be entering life."

Robbie's breath caught in his throat. "Death? Does that mean… you two…?" Robbie trailed off as Jim nodded. "How?" Robbie whispered.

Jim shrugged and placed his hand on the girl next to him. "The Virus got us."

Robbie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I thought you were immune!" Jim didn't say anything, and Robbie suddenly understood. Jim had been an angel the entire time. He was never alive.

"So this is… Ariana?" said Robbie, pointing to the young girl. She smiled happily and nodded.

"This is," she said.

"So if I walk that way… I'll go back to life?" said Robbie slowly.

Jim nodded. "You have a choice to make, Robbie. Cat…" Jim took a deep breath, and Ariana took his hand.

"Cat is dying," she continued for him. "Right now, this very second. You can go into death, where there is no Virus, where you'll be happy. If you do," she continued, "Cat won't die. She'll go back to that world where she'll be given the same fate as Jade and Beck. Her blood will be used as an antidote."

"She's not immune!" protested Robbie.

"If she survives the Virus she will be," said Jim. "Once you've had it, you don't get it again. It's like the chicken pox, except a hell of a lot more deadly."

"Grandpa! Language!" scolded Ariana.

"And if I go back to life?" said Robbie, anxious to get on with the conversation.

"Then Cat will die. I know that is what you were trying to avoid, but it will be better for her. She'll be happy, and safe. You, on the other hand, will be used for the antidote."

Robbie bowed his head. He wanted to walk to death so badly. It was like on one end of the hallway was hell, and the other was heaven, and he had a _choice_ of which one he could go to.

But he wouldn't wish that life on anyone, especially Cat. She deserved happiness. She deserved to be safe. She deserved love.

"Will you look after her?" whispered Robbie. Jim and Ariana nodded sadly.

"We will," promised Ariana.

Robbie took a deep breath and turned around to face the life door. He began walking very slowly towards it. When he got there, he reached for the doorknob. He looked longingly back at the death door, and then he was gone.

He blinked his eyes open back into life and saw that he was still on the ground, a gunshot wound through his left shoulder. He groaned and crawled over to Cat's bed, doing his best to be unnoticed in the chaos around him. When he got to her bed, he felt her pulse. Nothing.

He attempted to stand up and leaned on her bed, hot tears falling from his face. "I'm sorry, Cat," he whispered. "I did this for you." He pushed back a strand of her hair and kissed her. "I love you."

As the doctors noticed that he was still alive and began to pull him out, he was almost certain that he saw a ghostly image of the girl he loved behind them. She was crying, and holding the hands of Jim and Ariana. "I love you, Robbie," she said. "I'll see you soon."

As the doctors dragged him, Robbie was overcome by a wave of blackness. This time, he gave into it willingly, knowing who he would see on the other side. "I'm coming, Cat," he promised.

**-Rebel**


End file.
